Stoic meaning and 7 principles

The lack of philosophy in the business world is a serious mistake.

By and large, ignored by popular culture and forgotten by the mass media, modern philosophy, on its own initiative, is strictly delegated to the classes. Instead of adjusting to the times, modern philosophers have retreated into the ivory tower of abstract intellectualism and esoteric gloating.

Come on guys, you’re ruining the reputation of philosophy!

For those of us who live in the real world, there is one branch of philosophy created just for us: Stoicism.

As Ryan Holiday popularized in Obstacle is the way Stoicism is not about complex theories about the world, but about helping us overcome destructive emotions and act in accordance with what can be influenced. Like an entrepreneur, he is built for action, not endless debate.

Stoic Meaning and Principles

I have recently realigned my life and business around these seven guiding principles, or maxims as I like to call them. I view every element of my growth as a person, entrepreneur and leader.

Consider this your introduction to Stoicism!

Principle #1: “I Can Always Get Better.”

As CEO Rich20Something, I realized that you can always do something to become better. Best Entrepreneur. The best son, brother, friend or partner. There may be times when mistakes from your past haunt you and you mistakenly identify with your mistakes. It sounds trite, but every day you wake up is an opportunity to change. And the decision to make these changes starts with one decision.

Principle #2: “I Persist When I Get Frustrated.”

Stamina is in short supply today. I blame the internet. Because everything promised is easy. Because now everyone wants something. The world has existed for more than 4 billion years. Modern civilization has existed here for only about 6,000 years. Don’t rush the process. Things necessarily and without exception take time. While this time is running out, don’t give up because you are frustrated. Persistently. Persistence worsens, like interest, over time. If you are interested in learning more, please visit meditation Marcus Aurelius.

Principle #3: “I Don’t Run From Mistakes, I Learn From Them.”

You must make mistakes. Every single piece of human knowledge is the result of an initial failure. Every book written, every idea invented, every invention made was meant to solve a problem because someone, somewhere, made a mistake.

Mistakes push us forward. If you categorically avoid them, you don’t risk enough to reap big rewards. Instead of being afraid to make mistakes, look at them as necessary rituals of initiation, drop the agony and memorize the lesson. Be courageous. Then help other people avoid the same traps.

Principle #4: “Successful People Inspire Me.”

I think we all have a subtle tendency to mix admiration with a dose of hatred and self-doubt. At least I know I’ve been doing it for a while. If we see someone (especially a friend/family member) doing better than us, we come up with subtle reasons to passive-aggressively destroy them in order to keep ourselves in our own minds. It’s a defense mechanism to protect ourselves from feeling bad about not having the same results in our lives, and it works great for a while.

For example, if my entrepreneur friend had a huge product launch and I was jealous, I would think to myself: “Yes, it’s really good. I’m so happy for them! They just spend so much time at work. I really prefer to be more balanced in life.” See what I did there? It’s very subtle.

Instead of looking for subtle reasons to discount the accomplishments of others, we should be inspired by their successes. In fact, of all the emotions on the human spectrum, I find jealousy to be the most useless. When someone achieves something that you would also like to do, the question you should ask is not “How are they better than me?” should be “How can I do the same?” Once you make this mental shift, you will be able to focus more clearly on growth and eliminate a lot of subconscious negativity in your life.

Principle #5: “I Can Learn Anything I Want.”

The other day I watched the movie “Divergent”. I can’t remember who’s there other than Zoe Kravitz (for obvious reasons… Zoe, call me!) or what the movie was about. But I remember one interesting point: each person in their society had a certain, predetermined role. Some people were chosen as warriors. Some must be intellectuals. Some to be farmers. It went on and on. And there was no refusal. Whoever you’re assigned to, that’s what you’re stuck with. I can’t help but feel that our education system is the same.

From a very young age, our parents, friends, and teachers tell us that we are good at some things and not at others. Sometimes frankly, sometimes much more subtly. But the signs are very clear – we start believing in it and identifying with it. I have always loved to read/write. I succeeded very early in everything literary, and thanks to this, these traits were strengthened. My teachers catered to my strengths. My parents reinforced this by saying things like: “This family does poorly in math.” And for a while, I thought there really was something else in my brain that was making it harder for me to understand math concepts that are more left-brain related. Thus, I became what was supported by the evidence. My test scores have always been pretty darn good in anything to do with reading or writing, while my grades in math and science have been mediocre at best.

Once I was even a medical student. After failing chemistry, I thought to myself, “You know what, this is something I’ll just never be good at.” Now I know it’s complete nonsense. It’s not that I couldn’t do chemistry. I just didn’t care. It didn’t inspire me. Nothing in the field of medicine helped. Deep interest is the key to acquiring elite-level skills. Think about it: when you were really interested in something, didn’t it make it easier for you to learn? Your brain is incredible and everything you want to excel at is within your natural ability. Nothing you need to learn will ever require a genius level IQ. From rocket science to starting a business. All you need is the right approach, patience and, above all, self-confidence.

Principle #6: “I Can Make a Difference With My Efforts and My Attitude.”

My high school counselor, Mr. Garcia, had one of those awfully trite motivational posters in his office, with an eagle soaring high in the sky, which said: “Your attitude determines your height!” And despite the fact that Instagram has almost completely destroyed the meaning of inspirational quotes, this one is still relevant.

The way you perceive things affects how they turn out, and those results in turn affect how your beliefs turn out. It all starts with you and your relationship. It’s like what is called Observer effect in physics, where the very instruments used to measure a phenomenon change the phenomenon itself. You are a tool! This means that you must guard your thoughts accordingly. If you constantly focus on why something is going to be too difficult, the task will seem much more difficult because you are exaggerating the complexity. If you focus on why something is possible, why you will succeed, why you will enjoy the task, you will feel these effects much more deeply. After a while, you will realize that in many cases events are just events, and their impact on our lives depends almost entirely on how we understand and perceive them.

This slightly detached worldview is a major component of Stoic philosophy. which I deeply integrated into my life. This is not to say that emotions sometimes don’t take over – rather, when they do, you must learn to step out of the fray and objectively look at what’s happening to you and make an active decision to change your behavior. no matter how you may feel. When you change your behavior and your attitude, you will greatly influence the outcome of any obstacle you face.

Principle #7: “I Like To Challenge Myself.”

Just like our propensity to avoid mistakes, we often avoid problems…because in our brain, a “challenge” usually results in a mistake or psychological stress, which is painful and unpleasant. But challenge avoidance is a trade-off of long-term satisfaction for short-term security.

By and large, the very nature of trials is such that at first they are difficult, and then they become easier. Along the way, you learn both the skills you need to be successful in your discipline and the person you need to become in order to excel. I have learned this in almost every difficult task I have ever done – from Jiu Jitsu to learn how to solve Rubik’s Cube. Through constant challenge and relentless perseverance, frustration always gives way to understanding. And then competence. And finally, skill.

So my recipe for you is to intentionally and actively look for something that will challenge you. The stoic meaning, after all, is that if you understand everything in your life, you are doing it wrong. There should be at least one element in your day that upsets you so much that you are constantly looking for a solution. It could be something like a complex business challenge or something as simple as reading a book that is beyond your comprehension. Start seeing difficulties and confusion as an indicator that you are on the right path, rather than a sign that you should turn back and head into more familiar territory.